Like the Rolex Explorer, the Rolex Air-King is often overlooked among more popular Rolex collections such as the Submariner, Daytona, or even Datejust, released the same year as the Air-King. But, as an "entry-level" Rolex, the Air-King continues to offer an interesting value proposition, especially for vintage enthusiasts, as it is one of the few vintage Rolex models with a relatively affordable price tag. The Air-King is one of the oldest Rolex models and deserves your attention. So let's have a quick look at the history of the Air-King while trying to keep the puns to a minimum.
The Air-King takes off
Rolex produced a number of "Air" models during and immediately after the Second World War, all for the British Royal Air Force and its pilots. The Air-King was launched in 1945. Its 34mm case was considered large at the time, hence the name "King". When it came out, the Air-King was part of a collection of Air watches that included the Air-Lion, Air-Tiger, and Air-Giant, but the reign of the Air-Kings surpassed the others.
The first Air-King was part number 4925, which is now a rarity. It has many of the characteristics of other Rolexes of the time, with a cream dial and even Arabic numerals. This model was followed by a few other references, including reference 4499. All of these early Air-King references housed hand-wound Hunter movements, making them very similar to the other stainless steel watches in the Rolex Oyster collection.
The Air-King began to acquire its own aesthetics with the transition reference 6652 in 1953, which had the 1030 caliber ticking inside. It was this reference that introduced the cream silver dial and stick indexes that became emblematic in the subsequent Reference 5500.
The queen of the Air-King: Order No. 5500
In 1957, Rolex introduced the Air-King that would define the line for the next 37 years: the Ref. 5500 had a 34 mm Oyster steel case, with the matching Oyster bracelet. The size of 34 mm was a bit small, even for the vintage era. For example, the other Rolex of the time, the Explorer Ref. 1016, measured 36 mm. The Ref. 5500 was equipped with the 1520 or 1530 caliber depending on the year of production. Whatever the movement, the Air-King was never a certified chronometer. You will therefore not see the famous "superlative chronometer certified" on the period Air-King dials. Instead, at the 6 o'clock position, you will see the words "precision" (for Cal. 1520) or "super precision" (for Cal. 1530). In fact, one of the most sought-after Air-Kings by collectors is the "double red", which features both the words Air-King and super precision in red. Like Ref. 6652, Ref. 5500 generally had a creamy silver dial with baton markers at all positions except the 12 o'clock position. This dial was housed under an acrylic crystal, common at the time.
Of course, there have been variations during the 37 years of Air-King rule. A very popular slate grey dial was produced for several years, as was a black dial. The Rolex Air-King is particularly known for its many corporate stamped dials. For many years, Dominos encouraged its franchisees to reach their sales targets by distributing the unique Air-King if certain quotas were met. It is a unique collaboration between two brands that one would not normally associate with each other, except perhaps for each one's obsession with time (a pizza in 30 minutes or it's free!).
Due to the popularity of Ref. 5500, Rolex introduced the Air-King-Date in 1958, Ref. 5700. The design aesthetics were similar to Ref. 5500, but it used the Rolex 1535 caliber to add a date function.
Rolex also made a Reference 5504 case for a while, filling some with Explorer dials and others with Air-King dials. This was during the transition period of the Explorer, before the release of the 1016 in 1963.
The model is being modernized
In 1989, Rolex introduced Ref. 14000, which is an update of Ref. 5500, which had undergone few changes in its 37-year history. In terms of design, it represented a new approach to the Air-King collection, as it featured Arabic numerals at 3-6-9 o'clock, with stick markers in between. The traditional version with stick markers only was also available, but the version with Arabic numerals proved popular with customers. It also features a new 3000 caliber movement and a sapphire crystal, allowing for much-needed improvements to the watch's hardware.
In a slight variation of Ref. 14000, Rolex introduced the "rotating bezel" in the Ref. 14010. Although it is no longer used in any production model, the rotating bezel was a popular alternative for consumers who didn't want the flashy, fluted bezel you see on many Datejust or the modern Sky-Dweller, but who were also annoyed by the smooth bezel from the past years of Air-King. However, Rolex only makes fluted bezels with gold or a gold blend, so a motor-driven bezel takes on a distinct character from anything Rolex produces today.
In 2000, both Ref. 14000 and Ref. 14010 were updated with the 3130 caliber movement.
In 2007, Rolex replaced the 14000 collection with Ref. 114200. The same year, Rolex also introduced Ref. 114234, which has a similar dial to Ref. 11420, but added a fluted white gold bezel to ensure that everyone notices that you are wearing a Rolex. Rolex also continued to offer the rotating bezel, in Ref. 114210. All three references continued to use the 3130 caliber, the same movement used in the Explorer's 114270 during this period. For the first time, however, the Air-King was certified as a chronometer.
The Air-King part number 116900
In 2014, the Air-King was removed. A year later, Rolex launched a new Oyster Perpetual, leaving one wondering whether the Air-King had ever given up its title of "entry-level Rolex". But in 2016, Rolex introduced a new Air-King, the 116900 reference. This current production model of the Air-King has a 40 mm stainless steel case, the same as the Milgauss part number 116400. It is also equipped with the same 3131 caliber movement inside, including the same anti-magnetic features.
In the meantime, Rolex has decided to play around with the dial, with large numbers 3-6-9 separated by minute indications at the remaining intervals. Add to this the green text and the second's hand that evoke the green Rolex branded boxes. It's a polarizing execution, but it's almost as if Rolex wanted it to be. The previous year, they had launched a new Oyster Perpetual, giving themselves the opportunity to experiment with a new Air-King, while the Oyster Perpetual maintained the nickname "simple Rolex". And if the Air-King is a model with a lot of history and followers, it does not in any way arouse the passion of Submariners, Daytonas, or even Explorers.
Over the years, a number of famous people have been spotted wearing Air-Kings from different vintages: Ryan Gosling was spotted wearing a vintage Air-King, and even wore it when he won the best actor award for his performance in La La Land. John McCain was also known to have worn an Air-King for much of his political career.
In summary, the Rolex Air-King is composed of a number of references, including :
- Part number 4925, the first Air-King
- Order No. 6552, the transitional Air-King
- The reference 5500, the definitive and oldest Air-King
- Part no. 14000, the modernized Air-King
- Reference 116900, the polarized Air-King
We also have an article on the references of another well-known model from the most iconic watch brand.
